Various types of medical implant devices have been developed over the years. In many instances, such devices enable humans to live longer, more comfortable lives. Implant devices such as pacemakers, artificial joints, valves, grafts, stents, etc. provide a patient with the opportunity to lead a normal life even in the face of major heart, reconstructive, or other type surgery, for example.
It has been found, however, that the introduction of such implant devices can sometimes lead to complications. For example, the human body may reject the implant device which can ultimately lead to infection or other types of complications. Alternatively, the implant device may malfunction or become inoperative. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to monitor the condition of the implant device. On the other hand, it is highly undesirable to have to perform invasive surgery in order to evaluate the condition of the device.
Still further, it is desirable to be able to monitor conditions related to the use of implant devices. For example, in heart patients it may be helpful to know the amount of blood flowing through a stent in order to evaluate the health of the patient. Again, however, it is undesirable to have to perform invasive surgery in order to evaluate such conditions.
Techniques have been developed which enable the function of an implant device to be monitored remotely from outside the body of the patient. These techniques involve including one or more sensors in the device for sensing the condition of the device. The device further includes a small transceiver for processing the output of the sensors and transmitting a signal based on the output. Such signal typically is a radio frequency signal which is received by a receiver from outside the body of the patient. The receiver then processes the signal in order to monitor the function of the device.
While such conventional techniques may be effective in avoiding the need to perform invasive surgery, there are however several drawbacks associated therewith. For example, the transceiver included in the implant device typically includes complex electrical circuitry such as mixers, amplifiers, microprocessors, etc. for receiving an interrogation signal and for transmitting a response signal based on the output of the sensors. Such complex circuitry has a relatively high cost associated therewith. In addition, the complexity of the circuitry increases the likelihood that the device itself may be defective. This would then require further invasive surgery and could even result in physical harm to the patient.
Still another shortcoming with conventional implant devices with sensors included therein is power concerns. Some type of circuit for providing power to the transceiver is necessary. The circuit may be a built-in power source such as a battery, or a circuit which derives operating power from an external excitation signal using magnetic or electromagnetic coupling. In either case, again the complexity of the circuit and/or the need to replace the battery periodically adds to the cost of the device and increases the opportunity for failure or defects.
In view of the aforementioned shortcomings associated with conventional implant devices, there is a strong need in the art for a medical implant system and method, particularly with respect to a stent, which can remotely interrogate the stent but which does not require complex electrical circuitry such as mixers, amplifiers, microprocessors, etc. There is a strong need for a stent which carries out its function within a human or other living animal, and can be remotely interrogated simply and reliably. Moreover, there is a strong need for a stent which does not rely on complex energy conversion circuits in order to operate.